As part owner and sommelier of Sydney’s revered Argentinian restaurants, Porteño and Bodega, Joseph Valore understands comfort dining. “Most winter foods are generally heavier,” Valore says. “There’s a greater focus on meats, baked produce or roasted vegetables.” When focusing on heartier meals, make sure you don’t overlook drinks that serve the same purpose.
Whether dining out or entertaining, bold cocktails are a perfect preamble to a winter feast, Valore says. “I always go for a cocktail that focuses on the core spirit. Something like the Sazerac works well just before you’re thinking of eating.”
Approximately 2 standard drinks.
50ml Bulleit Rye Whiskey
5ml sugar syrup
2 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
5ml Lemercier Absinthe, to rinse.
Rinse an Old Fashioned glass with absinthe, evenly coating the inside. Then stir the rye, sugar syrup and bitters in a separate mixing glass. Strain the mixture into the absinthe-rinsed glass. Serve neat.